Police plan for parade traffic

Law enforcement officials will be out in force this year to assist with the logjam of crowds and traffic that descend on downtown Columbia during the annual Mule Day Parade.

Law enforcement officials will be out in force this year to assist with the logjam of crowds and traffic that descend on downtown Columbia during the annual Mule Day Parade.

This year, the popular event is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 6, but Columbia’s Assistant Police Chief Michelle Jones reported that patrol officers will begin blocking off sides streets near the parade’s staging area on Carmack Boulevard as early as 9 a.m. Within the hour, all streets connecting to the staging area between 18th Street and Sixth Street will be barricaded.

In addition, streets connecting to West Seventh and North Garden streets will be shut down at 10 a.m. to keep traffic off the parade route. Detours will redirect large trucks along Theta and Santa Fe pikes. Using notes from last year’s parade, the patrol division will be working to improve problems with traffic for this year’s event, Jones said.

She said CPD has requested assistance from the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Mt. Pleasant Police Department, Spring Hill Police Department and the Maury County Sheriff’s Department to keep the parade and the rest of the Mule Day events running smoothly.

“We definitely depend on our partners to help us, mainly with the parade,” Jones said. “It’s definitely a cohesive effort to make sure it’s a safe weekend.”